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Jammer's Reviews

Trek's Musical Problems

By Jamahl Epsicokhan

January 24, 1995

I still don't understand what it is with the music on TNG, DS9, and now Voyager. Don't get me wrong. I don't doubt the talents of the composers, and I'm not talking about the main themes (I believe the main themes to TNG, DS9, and Voyager are quite good). But the scores for each episode lack energy and interest, and I'm very disappointed with what I hear most weeks.

Currently on DS9 (and in seasons 4-7 of TNG), the music is primarily scored by Dennis McCarthy and Jay Chattaway, who alternate every other week. And week after week it's flat and uninspiring. Occasionally I will be surprised, like with Chattaway's recent score to "The Search, Part I," which accompanied the closing action scene with some bombastic energy. And McCarthy will sometimes turn out nice work, most recently displayed in "Past Tense, Part I." It just makes me wonder why in the world we can't get decent scores like that more often.

In an article in the October 1993 issue of Cinefantastique magazine, I read an interesting article about the music on TNG and DS9. Apparently, the linear-restrained quality has nothing to do with the composers' abilities, but rather the wishes of the producers, and the strict guidelines they impose. It appears to be the reason that led to the firing of Ron Jones (who turned out some of TNG's best scores, including "The Best of Both Worlds" parts I and II, as well as "Brothers," "Final Mission" and many more). Jones was reported as an overbudgeted "troublemaker" who decided to ignore these guidelines—i.e., they got rid of him because his music was too "noticeable." For some reason, the producers decided they wanted no recognizable or recurring themes in the episode scores.

When Jones was gone, the producers gave Jay Chattaway the full time position, working with him to tone down his work. If you go back and watch TNG's third season "Tin Man," you will notice a very atypical score (by recent Trek music standards), with a recurring theme and many bombastic qualities. That was Chattaway's first score for TNG, and many of the qualities within it were exactly what the producers didn't want and had Chattaway tone down throughout his fourth season "break-in" period.

Apparently, Dennis McCarthy's situation was similar. McCarthy started on TNG from the very beginning, and his early works were much more interesting than his post-third season outings (I think the article mentioned that a certain producer retired around that time, leaving the other producers to influence the composers more directly). If you doubt McCarthy's abilities, listen to the very commendable score of "Star Trek: Generations" and you will hear his best work yet. Granted, that was a feature-film budget orchestra, but I know the composers could get more out of their television orchestra—Ron Jones did it every week.

Recently on DS9, they brought in a new composer named David Bell. So far I've liked his work a lot ("Second Skin" and "Past Tense, Part II"). It has a melody that inspires. I'm just afraid that he will sound just as boring as McCarthy and Chattaway by the end of the season, because, provided the producers keep him around, they're going to work on him to get what they want.

I'm not saying the music on Star Trek is totally without merit. But with the resources the composers have at their disposal, it's awful to know that it's being so toned down because the producers think it shouldn't be "overwhelming." I defy anyone who can tell me that they were more excited when Picard was in 10-forward with the baryon sweep coming at him ("Starship Mine"—6th season) than when Data and Worf kidnapped Locutus off the Borg ship and escaped ("The Best of Both Worlds, Part II"—4th season). The reason—linear monotony versus exciting bombastitiy, respectively. Music is about 70% of action or suspense.

Hey, I'm not asking for miracles. But something with some energy, along the lines of "The Search, Part I" would be nice. I knew before the pilot aired that Chattaway was scoring the first episode of Voyager. Being the major TV debut it was and considering Voyager is supposed to be more "adventurous" than the other Treks, I thought we might get something like "Search, Part I" in "Caretaker." But it was just more of the same boring stuff, and worse, because it was at such a low volume it almost didn't matter at all. Take, for example the scene in the tunnels where Paris rescues Chakotay from the staircase about to collapse. The music was so soft and unexciting that it destroyed the scene completely. I'm fed up with that.

The question I ask is, WHY DO THE PRODUCERS THINK THAT TONING THIS STUFF DOWN IS BETTER OFF FOR THEM? "Best of Both Worlds" felt like a movie because of its thundering soundtrack. What can the producers possibly fear in a soundtrack like that?

8 comments on this article

Most Trek music (TNG and on) is bland. I agree with your article. Aside
from some of the kitch of the era, TOS music really stands out from its
descendants because it regularly conveys a sense of the otherworldly and
unknown, a must-have for a sci-fi series. And those composers did it with
limited TV orchestras too. When it's just an action scene with little or
no dialogue, an interesting score is a must. Bland brass chords with a
maddening use of the snare drum is totally uninventive. Yet, episode
after episode features such music. Some more creative music could
definitely have punched-up some uninvolving cliff hangers (before
commercials). Music doesn't have to be bombastic (draw attention to
itself) to be effective either. You can get a lot of color out of
percussion and woodwinds to create a mood of mystery.

I applaud you for your thoughtful, professional reviews. I don't always
agree with you, but your writing is excellent and thought-provoking. You
should be screenwriting.

I know this article was written years ago, but in just looking around the
site (And the fact that it's not updated that much, but I understand the
reasons) I found this article and it peeked my interest. I too don't
understand why Trek music was so bad. I think the biggest hinderance to
music might have been DS9's final chapter. Just think how better that
would have been if the music had a little more life in it. Most of the
time on DS9, the music was loud and quite depressing. It got in the way of
the plot and wound up being more distracting than adding anything.

I think the death in music happened when Ron Jones left. As much as I love
trek, I don't think McCarthy and Cattaway were all that talented. Did they
come up with great music? Some of the time they did. However, they were
the only ones. I wish Trek had kind of a rotation of composers as they did
with writers. It would have made the music less bland then it ended up.

Hi Jammer,
Long, long, long time lurker, first time poster. I have been reading your
reviews for more than ten years and absolutely love them! As David said,
your writing is excellent. It's always thought provoking, and nine times
out of ten I agree with your assessments.
I think this article is right on the money. Compare some of the works of
the Star Trek composers to the likes of Bear McCreary in Battlestar
Galactica. Admittedly sometimes McCreary can get a little repetitive, but
he knows how to write character-based themes and he is damned good at it
("Pegasus", "Kobol's Last Gleaming", "Unfinished Business", "Maelstrom",
"Exodus", "Occupation", "Crossroads". I did like a lot of David Bell's
work (see DS9 "Sacrifice of Angels") and there were a couple of themes of
Chattaway's I liked (one of which that was used many times is present in
VGR "Night"). But as a whole, I found the music quite bland and
uninspiring. The thing I found the most difficult to bare was the insipid
string chords at EVERY SINGLE ACT BREAK that went for at least five seconds
too long. The snare drum mentioned above was a close second!

I just discovered this website, and I LOVE it! I love all things Trek and
am just now coming down from my BSG high, so reading your well-written and
incisive reviews is both bringing back good memories and easing the pain.

I see someone has already invoked Bear McCreary here, but I was compelled
to comment on this particular article precisely because McCreary's
*insanely amazing* BSG score makes the Trek music unlistenable in
comparison. I didn't really notice it the first time I watched DS9 when it
aired 10 years ago, but upon re-watching the DVDs now, post-Battlestar,
it's just cringe-worthy. Thank God DS9's usually incredible scripting and
focus on character interaction make the banal music mostly irrelevant.

I'd really, really like to see someone take on a new installment of Star
Trek in the post-BSG world. I think BSG changed science fiction for much
the better, and I'd be thrilled to see a newer, darker, more intense Trek.
Of course, in many ways, DS9 is the direct progenitor of nu-BSG, both in
the creative talent (Moore, Weddle, Thompson) and in tone, style, and
substance.

Just reading through the older articles here, and just thought I'd post to
say how much I agreed with your views on uninspiring Trek music. From
season 4 of TNG onwards till the end of Voyager, the composers were
hindered, and it hurt the show. Watching reruns of the different series in
the present day make you more aware of how much better other series' music
was. (I'm thinking of BSG and Lost in particular.)

However, I was very happy to see this disappointing trend end with
Enterprise. By season 2 we were getting good scores again, though it was
just a shame that most of that season was dreck. The upswing in general
quality in seasons 3 and 4 made the use of good music relevant again.

I couldn't agree more. I love Movie scores and soundtracks, and the last 4
seasons of TNG and beyond are unlistenable. I can watch them, but they
just aren't as fun as trek that comes before. "skin of Evil" isn't always
considered a great episode, but I could listen to that entire soundtrack
over and over again, versus 20 seconds of that fade to commercial crap of
later star trek. In fact I do.

And McCarthy is quite talented. Listen to his scores for encounter at
farpoint and generations. They are uneven but still quite good. Chattaway
was never given a fair shake, so i have noo opinion. Although he did
compose the inner light suite, and some of his early 4th season stuff is
quite good. So the jury is out on him. The problem is entirely on the
producers.

And the person who post about TOS is quite correct. Listen to the score
for "The Doomsday machine" which was 30 years prior to the crap Berman
forced on us and you will see what I am talking about. It was fun. I can
friggen JOG to the doomsday score.

I agree. TV music has really become much better over the past 20 years. I
mean, as much as I love Star Trek, the music is pathetic compared to the
BSG reboot or Firefly. It's especially worrisome because there are so many
scenes in Trek heavy on technobabble. Music can really instill those scenes
with energy.

I think DS9 tended to have better music overall. Never great, but it had
more life and energy. Battle scenes had battle music that at least
supported the action.

I'd love to see the Bear take on a Trek show and breath some life into the
music.

I don't ENT music is much better. Louder and more noticeable yes, but it
still wasn't good. Especially not the action music. Completely and utterly
predictable and repetitive. At some point it just got annoying. Especially
since the show overused action resolutions and often had unnecessary space
battles.

Individiually, TNG, DS9 and VOY still managed to break out of the
mediocrity now and then though. DS9 has for example "The Visitor", "The
Ascent", "The Siege of AR-558" which really excellent scores. And there are
some nice small pieces here and there that are great like in "Children of
Time", "Field of Fire", "One Little Ship", "In the Cards" or "Badda-Bing
Badda-Bang". Another thing I love is the use of 'The Minstrel Boy" in the
finale when O'Brien picks up the soldier figurine, harkening back to the
TNG episode.

Or as mention VOY's "Night". Or the use of classical music in
"Counterpoint". "Scorpion" also has a great score overall.

It's just all too little and too rare in the grand scheme of things. Maybe
that's why those even stand out so much.